Cigarette packers

ABSTRACT

A packaging machine comprising an endless conveyor having a plurality of successive containers for receiving rodlike articles, such as cigarettes, including means for feeding a predetermined number of rodlike articles to the container from the feeder as the conveyor moves. Particularly, the feeding means comprise a vertical channel in which a plurality of superimposed cigarettes are maintained, said channel being provided with an oscillating support at its bottom which is actuated in synchronism with the passage of the containers to lower and permit the cigarettes to fall into the container.

United States Patent [72] Inventor GoftredoGianese [50] 53/56,77, 148,149,150, 151, 236,59; 198/35, 53

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being provided with an oscillating support at its bottom which isactuated in synchronism with the passage of the containers to lower andpermit the cigarettes to fall into the container.

53/77, 53/148, [51] Int. B65b 19/04 B l-578L953 PATENTED HAY25 lsm SHEET1 [IF 3 IN wclv'ron.

GOFFREDO GIANESE NEY PATENTED HAYZS I97! sum 2 OF 3 INVEN'IOR.

GOFFREDO GIANESE A TORNEY SHEET 3 BF 3 PATENTED M25 1971 INVI'IN'I'UR.

GOFFREDO CIANESE ATT RNEY CIGARETTE PACKERS This application is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 734,371, filed June 4, 1968and application Ser. No. 734,372, also filed June 4, 1968. The presentinvention relates to packaging machines for rodlike articles and, inparticular, for cigarette packing machines.

In copending application, Ser. No. 734,372 filed June 4, 1968 there isdisclosed a packaging machine comprising an endless articulated conveyorhaving a plurality of successive containers, each designed to receive aneatly arranged group of rodlike articles, such as cigarettes, to bepacked. Each container consists substantially of a box which is open onthe external side, that is, opposite to the conveyor, and has one ormore compartments each capable of containing a stack of superimposedarticles, parallel to the bottom of said box.

Articles are fed to the containers from a hopper which extends along asection of the conveyor and which comprises a plurality of successivevertically disposed distributing channels, each capable of containing astack of superimposed cigarettes and having an outlet at its bottom.When a container passes the successive distributing channels, onecigarette at a time is transferred from each outlet into the container,filling it progressively until the preset number of cigarettes isreached. When the container comprises two or more compartments, theseare filled in succession by a corresponding group of distributingchannels. The cigarettes are actually introduced into the containers bymeans of an automatic feeding and ordering device which actuallydeposits them in the container and which is shown in copendingapplication Ser. No. 734,371, filed June 4, 1967.

According to the last mentioned application, each distributing channelis provided with a shoe adapted to bridge the outlet of the channel andhold the cigarettes therein. The shoe extends forwardly from the outletto the rear edge of the channel in the receiving direction of theconveyor and comprises one or more elements spaced transverse across theconveyor so that the lowermost cigarette rests securely thereon. Theinlet or open end of each container is then provided with one or moreextracting teeth spaced so as to move adjacent or between the shoeelements, to thereby engage with the cigarette thereon picking it up andsliding it from the shoe so as to cause it to fall into the container.Each shoe is provided also with a transverse hole connected to a sourceof suction so that the next succeeding or falling cigarette is caused tobe held by the shoe pending its subsequent removal by the next of thesuccessive containers.

In the aforementioned patent, the holding shoes are fixed well below theoutlet of the channel to enable contact by the extracting teeth of thecontainer. Thus, after an article or cigarette is extracted, the nextsucceeding or overlying cigarette is required to fall freely for acertain distance from the outlet of the channel until it, too, comes torest on the shoe. This arrangement necessitates the application of ahigh suction through the hole or holes in the shoe to insure securepositioning thereon. It ensues that the cigarettes are consequentlyliable to damage, not only by the free fall but by the high suction andby the efiect on the extracting teeth when the cigarette is removed fromthe shoe.

The present invention is aimed at eliminating the above inconvenienceand provides a mechanism which reduces the need for high suction to holdthe cigarette and prevent free fall of cigarettes from the distributingchannel. According to the present invention, the shoe bridging theoutlet of the distributing channel is mounted so as to pivot and becaused to oscillate from an elevated or upper position directly adjacentthe outlet of the channel in which it supports the stack of cigaretteson of contact with the extracting teeth of the containers passingbeneath it, to a descending or lower position removed from the outlet inwhich the lowermost cigarette resting on the shoe is moved into aposition to be engaged ky and removed by the extracting teeth. Further,in accordance with the present invention, the oscillation of the shoe isaccomplished as a result and in response to the passing of the containerbeneath the respective shoe so that the shoe descends to permit thecigarettes to enter the container only when the container is presentedbeneath the distributing channel and elevates when the container passesthereby so that the next succeeding cigarette in the channel is securedbefore it falls free therefrom.

In consequence, the present device eliminates the free fall ofcigarettes from the outlet of the channel. It simultaneously maintainsthe lowermost cigarette in positive securement on the shoe while it isbeing transferred from the channel to the container. Thus, less suctionis required, a positive transfer is accomplished and less damage,resulting from the action of the extracting teeth on the cigarette, isobtained.

An additional inconvenience is found in the aforementioned applicationSer. No. 734,371 Namely, in the embodiment shown there-the extractingteeth themselves are mounted so as to pivot or oscillate beneath thedistributing channels so that they may be caused to be fixed out ofengagement with the cigarette or containers as desired. The presentinvention provides an additional advantage, in that, since the shoe canoscillate, the extracting teeth may be made much simpler and fixed. Theoscillating shoe may be provided with remotely operated locking means tofix their position so that when it is desired that no cigarettes betransferred, they may be locked out of action. The remote controlledlocking means may be actuated further to provide selective locking sothat only selected containers may be filled or not filled.

These andvother features of the invention and the resulting advantagesmay be understood from the following description of a preferredembodiment illustrated as a nonrestrictive example in the attacheddrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a distributing channel of theautomatic cigarette-feeding and ordering device hopper, according withan oscillating cigarette-holding shoe associated with said channel;

FIGS. 2 to 5 show in vertical section the upper part of a cigarettecontainer with the respective cigarette-extracting teeth and with theoscillating cigarette-holding shoe associated with a distributingchannel, in four successive phases.

FIG. 6 illustrates a detail of the oscillating cigarette-holding shoeactuator in cross section taken along the lines VI-Vl of FIG. 1 and inlarger scale.

As regards the general description of the packing machine andcigarette-feeding and ordering device, reference is made to theaforementioned patent applications for further details. The partsalready described in these two applications are indicated with the samereference numbers in this description. In particular, item 8 is one ofthe containers which are fastened, one after the other, to an endlessarticulated chain and are destined to receive individually a neatlyarranged group of cigarettes. A substantially horizontal run of thischain of containers passes in the direction of arrow F under thecigarette-feeding and ordering device consisting of a hopper 10 whichextends along said horizontal run of the chain and the bottom 104 ofwhich has a plurality of successive vertical distributing channels 11,each capable of containing a stack of superimposed cigarettes arrangedhorizontally and transversely to the running direction F of the chain.In FIG. 1, item 102 indicates a longitudinal sidewall of hopper 10. Theupper inlet of each distributing channel 11 provided at the bottom 104of the hopper is delimited by a pair of rollers 64, spaced equidistantlyin a substantially horizontal plane and impressed with an oscillatingrotary motion, that is, reciprocating, the amplitude of which can beadjusted according to the diameter of cigarettes S. These rollers 64facilitate the descent of cigarettes S in hopper 10 and facilitate theirentrance into the distributing channels 11.

Container 8 consists of a box open at the top, that is, at the outerside opposed to the articulated chain, as well as at either sides. Thisbox is subdivided by two transversal partitions 51, into threecompartments 108, 208, and 308, each capable of containing a stack ofsuperimposed cigarettes S, parallel to the bottom of container 8 andtransversal to its running direction F. Each container 8 is housedwithin a cage 57 which is fitted and guided, free to slide, forward andbackward in relation to the direction of container 8. This cage 57 has acover 157 which closes the inlets of compartments 108, 208 and 308 ofthe container. Cover 157 of cage 57 is provided with a transversal slot58 the width of which corresponds substantially to the width of theinlet of a compartment 108, 208 and 308 of container 8 and consequentlyto the diameter of a cigarette S. The cigarettes are introduced intocontainer 8 through slot 58 which can be adjusted over the inlet of oneor the other compartment 108, 208 and 308 of container 8 by displacingcage 57.

Cage 57 is brought first into a position in which slot 58 of its coveris at the inlet of a compartment of container 8, for example, overcompartment 108. When a container 8 passes under hopper 10, a cigaretteS is picked from each of the successive distributing channels 11 of saidhopper and introduced through slot 53 into compartment 108 until thedesired number of cigarettes is reached in this compartment. Cage 57 is,then, automatically displaced during a step of the motion of the chainof containers 8, which brings cigarette-introduction slot 58 into thearea of the next compartment 208 of container 8. Compartment 208 is thenfilled similarly to the first one 108, by picking up, during the furthermotion of the container under hopper 10, a cigarette from eachsuccessive distributing channel 11. Cage 57 moves then a further step inorder to adjust slot 58 over the inlet of the third compartment 308which is then filled in the same manner.

In accordance with the present invention, two oscillatingcigarette-holding shoes 165, interspaced transversely to the runningdirection F of container 8 are provided in the area of the lower outletof each distributing channel 11 for picking the individual cigarettes Sfrom distributing channels 11 and introducing them into compartments108, 208 and 308 of container 8. These cigarette-holding shoes 165 arehoused in corresponding lower recesses 106 of bottom 104 of hopper andfastened to a common shaft 107 mounted, free to rotate, in bottom 104 ofhopper 10. The cigarette-holding shoes I65 extend forward from the rearedge of the outlet in the running direction F of container 8 and holdthe stack of superimposed cigarettes S in the distributing channel 11,preventing them from falling. The front end of each cigarette-holdingshoe 165, protruding under the outlet of the respective distributingchannel 11, presents an upper cradle-shaped surface which accommodatesthe lower cigarette S of distributing channel 11. To ensure the exactpositioning of this lower cigarette, a suction hole 67 is provided inthe cradle-shaped surface of each cigarette-holding foot 165 which isconnected to a suction source by means of a duct 109 provided in thecorresponding cigarette-holding foot 165 and by means of a longitudinalduct 111 provided in shaft 107.

The cigarette holder consisting of the pair of shoes 165 can oscillateupward and downward, assuming a lifted or elevated position (see FIG. 2on the right) and a lowered or descending position (FIG. 3-5). Theoscillation of shoes 165 can be obtained through any suitable means. Inthe illustrated embodiment, feet 165 are pushed downward by springs 113,located between feet 165 and bottom 104 of hopper 10, while they arelifted against the force of these springs 113 by means of a cam 114which acts on a side lever arm 115 ofa block 117 fastened to shaft 107of feet 165. Cams 114, associated with cigaretteholding feet 165 of thevarious successive distributing channels 11 of hopper 10 are fitted to asingle shaft 119 which extends along hopper 10. The axis of rotation ofcams 114 is therefore transversal to the axes of oscillation (shafts107) of cigarette-holding shoes 165. Consequently, the oscillation ofshaft 107 determines an inclination of lever arm 115, transversely tothe active surface of respective cam 114. To compensate for thisinclination, cam 114 does not act directly on lever arm 115 but on a pin120 parallel to shaft 107 and mounted, free to rotate, around its ownaxis, in lever arm 115. For this purpose, lever arm 115 has a forkshape. Pin has a flattened part which adheres to cam 114, as itevidently appears particularly in FIG. ti.

The pair of cigarette-holding feet 165 can be held in its liftedposition (FIG. 2) by means of any locking means. In the illustratedembodiment, this device consists of a movable hook 121 which cooperateswith a tooth 123 of lever arm and is driven by a solenoid 124. Whensolenoid 124 is deenergized, hook 121 disengages from tooth 123 andallows the free rotation of lever arm 115 and consequently ofcigarette-holding feet 165. When solenoid 124 is energized, hook 121moves to a position in which it engages tooth 123 when level arm 115 ispushed downward by cam 114, thus locking cigarette-holding feet in theirlifted position.

On the outside of cover 157 of cage 57, in the area of the rear edge oftransversal slot 58, there are two or more fixed extracting teeth 168,interspaced transversally to the running direction F of container 8 andstaggered in relation to the overlying cigarette-holding shoe 165.Preferably, extracting teeth 168 are so located that when container 8passes under a distributing channel 11 of hopper 10, eachcigarette-holding shoe 165 gets between two extracting teeth 168. On theopposite or front edge of cover 157 of cage 57 in front of extractingteeth 168, there is provided a pair of pressing elements 71, eachfastened to the free end of an elastic strip 72 which is engaged withits other end to cage 57. The elastic strips 72 tend to bring pressingelements 71 into lifted position, in front of extracting teeth 168, asillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Each pair of oscillating cigarette-holding shoes 165 is actuated by thecorresponding cam 114 in synchronism with the motion of containers 8along hopper 10 in such a way as to obtain the following operation.

When oscillating shoes 165 are in the elevated position, they hold thelower cigarette S of respective distributing channel 11 lifted out ofthe trajectory of extracting teeth 168 of containers 8 which transitunder hopper 10, as illustrated on the right side of FIG. 2. Every timea container is about to transit under a distributing channel 11, cam 114causes the lifting of lever arm 115 and the pair of shoes 165oscillates, due to the action of springs 113, into its lowered position(FIGS. 3 to 5) causing the descent of cigarettes S in distributingchannel 11. Thus, the lowermost cigarette in the channel 11 (supportedby the cradle-shaped ends of shoes 165 and held on it by suction appliedthrough holes 67) is accompanied and guided during its descent by thecigarette-holding shoes 165 whereby no free fall of the cigarettes isexperienced. When shoes 165 are in the lowered position, the cigarettesupported by them moves in the trajectory of the extracting teeth 168 ofthe container which is about to pass under distributing channel 11 (FIG.3). The overlying cigarettes in the distributing channel 11 continue tostand on the lowermost cigarette supported by shoes 165.

To facilitate the transfer of cigarettes from the shoe 165 into thecontainer, there is provided a resilient gauge element 71 mounted on theoutside of the cage cover 57. The gauge element 71 is engaged by theundersurface of the shoe 165 before the cigarette S is removed therefromand is depressed (FIG. 3) against the action of spring 72. As theconveyor moves and the shoe 165 passes over the gauge element 71, thespring 72 forces the element 71 upwards (FIG. 4). At this moment, theextracting teeth 168 passing the lowered shoe 165, meet cigarette S andpush it forward sliding it past the free front end of shoe 165 into thecontainer (FIG. 5). The cigarette falls by gravity through the upperslot 58 of cage 57 into the underlying compartment 108 of container 8.The gauge element 71, by tripping up in front of the cigarette supportedby shoe 165 before it is contacted by the extracting teeth 168 preventsthe cigarette from jumping forward past slot 58 of cage 57 due to theshock received from the extracting teeth 168.

As the cigarette is removed from the lowered shoe 165, extracting teeth168 insinuate themselves with their flat backs under the next lowercigarette in distributing channel 11 thus supporting it in its positionwithin the channel (FIG. 5) after the removed cigarette falls from thelowered cigarette-holding shoe 165 and in any case, before the backs ofthe extracting teeth move away from the following overlying cigarette indistributing channel 11, earn 114 lowers lever arm 115, thus causingshoe 165 to oscillate upward, bringing the shoe 165 back into theirlifted position, securing in their cradle-shaped ends the followingcigarette (HO. 2). This next following cigarette is thus supported andgripped through suction by the lifted shoe 165 which accompany it in thedescent with their downward oscillation during the transition of thefollowing container.

As described in the first of the aforementioned applications, there arecases in which a container 8 must not be filled with cigarettes. Forthis purpose, when a not-to-be filled container 8 is about to pass undera distributing channel 11 of hopper 10, cigarette-ho ding shoes 165,instead of oscillating into their lowered position and thus bring thecigarette in the trajectory of the extracting teeth, are held in thelifted position by means of hook 121 which engages with tooth 123 oflever arm 115 and prevents the upward oscillation of lever arm 115.Locking of cigarette-holding shoes 165 in the lifted position isdetermined by the temporary energization of solenoid 124, during aninterval of time corresponding to the transition of container 8 underdistributing channel 11. The pairs of cigarette-holding shoes 165associated with the various successive distributing channels 11 ofhopper are temporarily locked, one after the other, in the liftedposition, in synchronism with the transition of the not-to-be-filledcontainer 8. This is obtained with the cascade energization of solenoids124 associated with the cigarette-holding feet 165 of the successivedistributing channels 11.

The invention provides also a safety device which automatically stopsthe movement of the chain of containers 8 and the associated mechanismwhen a cigarette S does not fall immediately into the respectivecontainer 8 but remains on cage 57 and is dragged forward, for example,by extracting teeth 168. For this purpose each pair of cigaretteholdingshoes 165 is provided with an associated detecting lever 125 (FIG. 1),keyed to a freely rotatable shaft 126.'The shaft 126 rotates and extendstransversely at bottom 10 3 of hopper 10 to the running direction F ofcontainers 8, that is, parallel to shaft 107 of feet 165. Lever 125 islocated in the center between the two cigarette-holding feet 165 and isinclined downward in a forward direction, that is, in the runningdirection F of container 8. laterally, on shaft 126 there is keyedanother lever 127 connected to a spring 128 which is anchored to a rod129 fastened in bottom 104 of hopper 10.

On an end of shaft 126, adjacent side lever 127, there is rotatablymounted a grooved pulley 130, coaxial to said shaft. Another groovedpulley 131 is mounted on the side of lever 127, eccentrically to shaft126. Over pulley 130 and under pulley 131 is passed a thin cable 132 orthe like, which extends along the entire hopper 10 of the cigarettefeeder. One end (not illustrated) of this cable 132 is anchored to afixed point, while the other end is connected to the actuating lever 133of a microswitch 134. This cable 132 thus engages by virtue of the twopulleys 130, 131 of all the safety devices associated with the varioussuccessive pairs of cigarette-holding shoes 165.

The springs 128 normally hold the side lever 127 in an angular positionof rest in which the free end of the inclined detecting levers 125 isslightly underneath cigarette S, supported by each pair of shoes 165 inthe lowered position. In the meantime, pulleys 131 of said side levers127 stand with a light pressure on cable 132, keeping it stretched. Thislight rest tension of cable 132 is not, however, sufficient to move theactuating lever 133 of microswitch 134 whereby the latter is in acondition corresponding to the packer in operation.

When a cigarette, picked up by extracting teeth 168 from the loweredcigarette-holding shoes 165 does not fall into container 8 but is movedforward by the extracting teeth, it meets the inclined detecting leverassociated with the pair of cigarette-holding feet 165 of the successivedistributing channel 11, thus lifting said lever 125 against the actionof the respective return spring 128. Consequently, also side lever 127,keyed to shaft 126 of lifted detecting lever is caused to oscillate.Thus, pulley 131 carried by side lever 127 presses against cable 132 andstretches it with such a force that it moves lever 13 which actuatesmicroswitch 134, determining the stoppage of the machine.

The cigarette which has been removed from the lowered feet of adistributing channel 11 but which has remained out of container 3 andhas been moved forward by extracting teeth 168, meets detecting lever125 associated with the successive distributing channel 11 preferablybefore the cigarette-holding shoes 165 of the latter distributingchannel have moved, by means of cam 114 and springs 113, to theirlowered position. The actuation of microswitch 134 causes, then, inconjunction with or prior to the stoppage of the machine, also theenergization of solenoid 124 associated with this successivedistributing channel, locking the respective cigarette-holding feet 165in their lifted position, thus preventing the cigarette supported bythem from being engaged and caused to fall prematurely, by the previouscigarette picked up and moved by extracting teeth 168.

It will thus be seen that an improved mechanism for transferringcigarettes has been devised.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodimentwhich has been described and illustrated but that many changes could bemade, mainly as regards construction, without departing from the spiritof the invention as illustrated above and as defined in the followingclaims.

lclaim:

1. In a packaging machine for rodlike articles comprising a hopperhaving a plurality of serially arranged vertical channels, each adaptedto contain a stack of said articles superimposed one upon another,support means at the bottom of each of said channels for supporting saidarticles thereon, an endless conveyor on which is carried a plurality ofcontainers past the bottom of said channels and means mounted on each ofsaid containers for removing the article from each of the support meansand causing it to drop into said container on movement of a containerpast said channels, the improvement comprising means pivotally mountingsaid support means at the rear edge of said channel so that said supportmeans extend forwardly in the direction of motion of said conveyor andoscillate vertically from an upper position maintaining said articleswithin said channel and out of contact with said articleremoving meansto a lower position in which the lowermost article supported by saidsupport means is positioned in the path of said removing means.

2. The device according to claim 1 including means for synchronizing theoscillation of the support means with the movement of said container soas to lower said support means on presentation of a container beneaththe channel and to raise said support means on passage of said containertherefrom.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the articleremoving meanscomprise one or more extracting teeth mounted on the top of saidcontainer, said teeth having flat edges and being of such height as tobe caused to insinuate themselves between the lowermost articlesupported on said support means and the next lowermost article therebyacting to remove said lowermost article from said support while itselfsupporting said next to the lowermost article until said support meansis caused to oscillate to its upper support position.

4. The device according to claim 2 including means for selectivelypreventing oscillation of each of said article support meansnotwithstanding passage of said containers.

5. The device according to claim 4 including control means forpreventing successive support means from oscillation in cascadingmanner, each for a predetermined interval of time, corresponding to thepassage of a predetermined container.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the article-support means isfastened to a shaft pivotally mounted transverse to the direction ofmovement of the conveyor and includes spring means for biasing saidsupport means in its downward position, said shaft having a laterallyextending lever arm, a rotary cam member engaging said lever arm, saidcam being provided with a face adapted to permit said lever arm toselectively depress and raise, and means acting in synchronism with themovement of said conveyor to cause said cam to normally depress saidlever and maintain said support means in its upward position, and topermit said lever to raise to cause said support means to lower onpresentation of container thereby.

7. The device according to claim 6 including suction holes lever securedto a pivotal shaft mounted transversely to the direction of movement ofthe conveyor above the containers thereon, spring means for normallybiasing said detecting lever downwardly to engage an article lying onthe top of said containers, lever means extending laterally from saidshaft and movable therewith and switch means for preventing operation ofsaid packing machine, operable on movement of said lateral lever means.

10. The device according to claim 9 including a cable extending alongeach of the vertical channel, each of the lateral lever means extendingfrom the shaft mounting said detecting lever engaging said cable, saidcable being connected to the microswitch, whereby movement of any one ofsaid lateral levers actuate said microswitch.

1. In a packaging machine for rodlike articles comprising a hopperhaving a plurality of serially arranged vertical channels, each adaptedto contain a stack of said articles superimposed one upon another,support means at the bottom of each of said channels for supporting saidarticles thereon, an endless conveyor on which is carried a plurality ofcontainers past the bottom of said channels and means mounted on each ofsaid containers for removing the article from each of the support meansand causing it to drop into said container on movement of a containerpast said channels, the improvement comprising means pivotally mountingsaid support means at the rear edge of said channel so that said supportmeans extend forwardly in the direction of motion of said conveyor andoscillate vertically from an upper position maintaining said articleswithin said channel and out of contact with said article-removing meansto a lower position in which the lowermost article supported by saidsupport means is positioned in the path of said removing means.
 2. Thedevice according to claim 1 including means for synchronizing theoscillation of the support means with the movement of said container soas to lower said support means on presentation of a container beneaththe channel and to raise said support means on passage of said containertherefrom.
 3. The device according to claim 2 wherein thearticle-removing means comprise one or more extracting teeth mounted onthe top of said container, said teeth having flat edges and being ofsuch height as to be caused to insinuate themselves between thelowermost article supported on said support means and the next lowermostarticle thereby acting to remove said lowermost article from saidsupport while itself supporting said next to the lowermost article untilsaid support means is caused to oscillate to its upper support position.4. The device according to claim 2 including means for selectivelypreventing oscillation of each of said article support meansnotwithstanding passage of said containers.
 5. The device according toclaim 4 including control means for preventing successive support meansfrom oscillation in cascading manner, each for a predetermined intervalof time, corresponding to the passage of a predetermined container. 6.The device according to claim 1 wherein the article-support means isfastened to a shaft pivotally mounted transverse to the direction ofmovement of the conveyor and includes spring means for biasing saidsupport means in its downward position, said shaft having a laterallyextending lever arm, a rotary cam member engaging said lever arm, saidcam being provided with a face adapted to permit said lever arm toselectively depress and raise, and means acting in synchronism with themovement of said conveyor to cause said cam to normally depress saidlever and maintain said support means in its upward position, and topermit said lever to raise to cause said support means to lower onpresentation of container thereby.
 7. The device according to claim 6including suction holes provided in said support means connected to asource of suction by means of a duct through the transverse shaft tothereby hold the article on said support means.
 8. The device accordingto claim 1 including means for sensing the presence of an article on theupper surface of said container and for emitting a signal, meansresponsive to said signal for preventing oscillation of thearticle-support means.
 9. The device according to claim 6 including adetectiNg lever secured to a pivotal shaft mounted transversely to thedirection of movement of the conveyor above the containers thereon,spring means for normally biasing said detecting lever downwardly toengage an article lying on the top of said containers, lever meansextending laterally from said shaft and movable therewith and switchmeans for preventing operation of said packing machine, operable onmovement of said lateral lever means.
 10. The device according to claim9 including a cable extending along each of the vertical channel, eachof the lateral lever means extending from the shaft mounting saiddetecting lever engaging said cable, said cable being connected to themicroswitch, whereby movement of any one of said lateral levers actuatesaid microswitch.